Fruit and vegetable brusher, polisher, washer, and self-feeder.



No. 842,378. PATENTBD JAN.- 29, 1907.

l y ..J. AVL-BAKER. l. BRUIT AND VEGETABLB BRUSHER, POLISHBR, WASHER, AND SELF FEEDER.

I n APPLIUATION FILED APB.21.1904.

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- APPLIOATION PILB) APB..21, 1904.

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PATENTED JAN. 29, 1907.

J. M. BAKER.

FRUIT AND VEGETABLE BRUSHER, POLISHER, WASHER, AND SELF FEEDER.

-LPPLIUATION FILED Arn.21,19o4.

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- amante@ WW1/Emea E JCU-ms M`Baher SH01/neg# UNITED. STATES y QFFICE. 4 JAMES 'n.BAKER, or GLENDORA, 'cALiroRNIA-- 'Faun AND vEemeLE nusnra PoLlsHER, WASHER, AND SELF-FEEDER.

To` all whom it may concern: f

Be it .known that I, ,JAMES M. BAKER, a citizen of the United States', residing at- Glen'- dora, in thecounty of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit and Vegetable ,Brushers, Polishers, Washers, and Self-Feedan improved machine of thischaracter which ers; and I do .declare the followin` to be'a full, clear, and exact descripltion of t e invention, such as will enable ot ers skilled in the Aart to which it appertains .to make and use the same.

-My invention is an im roved self-feeding machine for brushing, polishing', and washing fruit and vegetables; and it consists in the,

construction, combination, and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of my invention is to provide is simple in construction, exceedingly effip cient in operation, is. of great, c a acity, du-

a rable, runs easily and practica y vwlthout noise, and which 'ma be used inconnection with either a tank aving a feed device lor with a 4feeding'device for feeding fruits or vegetables directly to the machine without I first washing thesame.

In the accompanying a side elevation of'` my improved machine in connection with a gravitatingfeeder. Fig.2 1s a top plan view of the same, showing onlyv a portion of the feeder. Fig. 3 is an end ele; vation of the same, the feeder being removed.

Fig. 4 is a detail transverse sectional view.'

Fig. 5 is partly an elevation and partly a`se`ctional view, showing the tank connected to the brushing-machine and having means for feeding fruits or vegetables from the' tank to the machine. Fig. 6 is adetail top plan view of the same. Fig. 7 is a detail topvplan view of the feedingdevice shown in 1g. .1, vand Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view ofthe same.

I will first describe the machine forcleaning, brushing, and washing fruits and vegetables,

An'inclined frame .l of rectangular form g and of suitable size is provided atits corners with supportingelegs 2 3, the former, 'whichl are at t e inner end of the frame, beingV longer than the latter, which are at the outer or rear end thereof. The side boards 4 ofthe frame are connected together at their ends by cross-bars 5, on which are bearings vfor three rollers or brushes 6- 7, the latter being the center roller-brush. The bearings 8 for the brush7 arefnred on the bars 5. The bear- Speeication of Letters Patent.

Application led April 21,1904- Seriel No.l 204,269. i V

drawings,"Figure 1 .is

Patented Jan. 29,

vwithslots 10, throu h whichthe bo ts 11 eX-` thereby the saidbearings 9 and the'outer frame are shafts 14 15, w 'ch are journaled. in bearings 16, that the cross-bars 5. T

the said ro lconnected together by retarding-belts or. endless cords 18, which are arranged in pairs'bethe roller-brushes, are inclined from end to end of the frame 1. serve to sup ort the' fruit or vegetab es beupwardly, as indicated by the arrows in Fig.'2;

posed bars 19, the outer en s of which are the inner ends thereof, are bearings 23, in

pulleys tween the roller-brushes, are jdriven, vas

be'understood., 'Assuming Athat fruits or v 'stables-V` are PP it will be understoodthatthe said brushes, in revolution, `will thoroughly vbrush ings 9 for the roller-brushes 6 are rovided project outwardlyfrom. e said shafts are pro-j vided at appropriate points with rollers 17,

1ers of the respective shafts'being.

tween the ro lers, and their upper leads move v roller-brush, whereby power is communicated to the said roller-brushes, as will beunde'rstood. They shaft 2 4 is Vfurther provided. with pulleys 30, and the shaft l14 is provided with Apulleys 31, which are connected to the'y 30 by endless belts 32," and hence the endless retarders 18, which are disposed beibeingr y y the uit orvegetables and that the endlesstend that .secure t em on the barsf5, and '6o roller-brushes Gare adjustable laterally, so as f similar pulley 13. -At op osite ends of the '75' tween the roller-brushes, as shown'and, like Said retardin -belts v To the corner-posts of the'le s 2, at a suit able distance from the lower en s thereof,- are l secured horizontally and lo itudinally `dis-'v connected to ether by a cross-bar 20. The

lower ends o the legs 2 3 are connected, toether, respectively, by cross-barsv 21 22.

n the bars 19, atv a suitable distance from'. f

which is journaled a1 shaft 24. Said-shaft Y has at one ,end a power-pulley 25,'y and the said shaft-is provided with pulleys 26 and 27.1v

The pulleys 26 are connected lbyV belt s28tcf .j 'Y

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placed between the roller-brus ies at their."- i er ends on the retarder `cords'or belts 18, 1.1v

retarder'cords or belts 18 will serve to retard the movementl of thesame by gravit towhile the endless retarder belts or cords ,will

plane at right anglesto the plane of move- I to -disc brush,

i that the said the sidesof the said i scrubbed withwater 4discharge leaves and other trash tend'` to rotate the-fruits or vegetables in a ment im arted thereto by the roller-brushes,

the resu t being thatthefruits or vegetables will be turned in alldirectiens as they pass lo" itudinally between the roller-brushes an will be thoroughly scrubbed,- brushed, and polished thereby; The open spaces bev tween the roller-brushes and between the endless retarder cords or belts ,which support the fruits or ve etables while they are being brushed,- ena le the dirt, particles, scale, and the like brushed from the fruit or ve etables to be readily dischar ed, the result being that the fruit or vegetales will be thoroughl cleaned b the action of the brushes and enc less traveling retarders.

To enable thefruit or vegetables to be b the action of the revolubleroller-bruslies, i, provide a sprinklin pipe 33, which is connected to a suitab e source ofv water and is secured above the center brush 7 by suitable supports 34. This pipe is perforated on its under side and serves arge Water vonto the central rollerwhich `causes the said center rollerbrush to thoroughly scrub the fruits or vegetables durin their passage through the machine, as willbe understood. It will be seen pipe may be also perforated in its sides, so as to dischar 1e water ,also onto the outer roller-brushes, desired. I Will now describe means for automatically`i`eeding fruit or ve etables tothe scrubbing, washing, and po ishing machine. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, there is an inclined feed-trough 35, which contracts laterally toward 'its lower dischar e end.' The lower dischar e end of the feedg-trough is s'upported by the rame 4. Its outer end is supported by .a pair of supports 36, which have their lower ends connected by `a cross-bar 37 andl which have in their upper portions verticalslots 38. Bolts or screws 39, which screw feed-trough to the .said standards, .operate in the said slots, so that the inclination of the said be varied at will. Said feed-trough is provided at a point intermediate its ends with a bottom section 40, which bars 41 and longitudinally-disposedslats 42, which are secured on the saidcross-bars and are appropriately 'spaced apart. The openings 43 between the said slats widen toward. their lower ends, the said openings serving to from the fruit or vegetablesplaced on the u per end of said feed-trough, while thesaidp fruit or feed-trough may comprises crossvegetables by gravity pass to the lower end of the said feedtrough. Just beyond the lower end of the slatted portion of the bottom of the feed-trouvh is a transversely-disposed valve 44, whic is pivotally mounted, as at 45, and is ada ted to be turned to any desired inclination means of a handle 46. A.- air. or other suita le number of automatica ly-operating feed-valves 47 are disposed beyond the lower en d of the said valve 44,- are pivotall as at'48, andare simounted, multaneouslly reversely operated by pitmen 49, which connected together near their lower ends, as. at 50, the lower end of one Iof the pitmen being connected to and on a shaft 52, which shaft is journaled -in bearings 53 on the bar 2O and is provided at one end with a pulley 54. The shaft 24 has a pulley 55and an endless belt 56 connects the pulleys 54 55, thereby drivin the shaft 52. Between the sides of the fee -trou h 35, at the lower contracted end thereof, is a ongitudinally-dis osed partition-plate 57. At the lower disc arge end of the said feed-trough are spouts 58, which may be of the form here shown or of any other suitable form and which serve to discharge the fruit or ve etables into the up er ends of theraceways etween the .rollerrushesv and on the endless traveling retarder cords or belts 18.

It will be understood that the valve 44 when appropriately turned serves to check the gravitating motion of the fruits or vegetables on the bottom of the feed-trough and with the simultaneously reversely operating pperated by a crank '51 are hinged or otherwise flexibly lOO feed-valves 48 serves to feed' the fruits or veg- 1 stables from the lower contracted end of the A said trough, so that the fruits or ve etables are fed at the required rate oi' spee to the brushing, polishing,

.In lieu of the self-feedin device hereinbefore described -I may emp oy in connection with the machine a feed-tank having selffeeding devices, which l will now describe. The feed-tank 59 is provided with supportinglegs 60, and near the end thereof which isopand scrubbing machine.

IIO

posite the.upper end of the machine are endess traveling inclined feed-chains 61, which are provided with outwardly-extending iingers 62, a said feed-c ains are disposed obliquely with reference to each other to contract the space between them toward the discharge end of the tank. Their lower portions o erate on sprocket -wheels 63, which have tgeir beargs on slotted adjustable supporting devices 64, the outer upper portlons of the -said feed-chains being engaged and operated by sprocket wheels 65, which are on the upper ends of inclined shafts 66." Said shafts are journaled in suitable bearpropriately spaced apart. The

ings 67 are connected together for ,simultaneous rotation in reverse directions by pulleys 68 and a crossed belt 69, and at lthe lower i end of one of the said shafts `is apulley 70,

which is connected by a quarter-turn belt 71 to a pulley 7 2 on the shaft 24. Inclined bottom platzsnor boards `"1' 3' are disposed under .float in the tank and move the same upwardly the inclined obliquely-arranged endless travelin feed-chains.` The said inclined boards. or ates 73 coact with the inner leads of the en less traveling feed-chains to form races for the assage of fruit or vegetables from the ,f

tank, t e action of the saidf'eed-chains and the ingers with which they are provided being to catchthe fruits or vegetablesI which over the inclined plates or boards 7 3 and discharge them from the rear ends thereof. A spout or chute74 receives the fruits or vege#` tables as they are discharged from'the said" feed-chains and conveys the same into the the skins, the machine may be employed for# peeling the peaches or other fruits or vegetales by the action of will be understood.

From the foreglo ing description, taken in'` connection with t e accompanying drawings,

the .roller-brushes, kas l the constructiomand operationz of the invention will be readily understood Without requiring a more extended ex lanation.

Various changes in the orm, proportion,

and the minor details of construction may be resorted to Without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention. l

Having thus fully described my invention,

.. what I' claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a machine of the class described, the

combination'of inclined roller-brushes spacedapart v'to form raceways bet-Ween them', each raceway having a suitably-covered iigid mclined trough-like or concave floor supporting the'fruit or vegetables, said :'loor being provided with end ess cords orfbelts running upwardly on said floor for lthe more complete turning of the fruit or vegetables between the said brushesfwith means for operatingsaid brushes and endless cords orbelts,for the pur,-

ypose specified;

' In testlmony whereof have hereuntoset my hand in presence of two 'subscribing witnesses.

Y JAMES M. BAKER. Witnesses: 'y f *p vJ.S.HUN '1?00N, .l

` M. A. STAREK. 

